First, of course, what do I mean by hope? Merriam-Webster defines hope, the noun, as “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.” Desire… expectation… belief. All potent words. Hope is about looking forward to some positive outcome or event.
And the surprising benefit? I heard or read someone link creativity to first having hope. This immediately intrigued me and also made sense to me. Basically, there is a shift from quiescent or passive to active energy. Hope provides an opening in outlook. This broadened outlook then invites imagining. And imagining asks for a creative response. Then, potential possibilities become available, and good things can unfold.
Here’s an example. And this is not about a huge, life-changing event but it illustrates what can happen. A year ago, I found myself in charge of a fundraiser, namely a yard sale and car wash. I had never put on an event like this. I was anxious about it. The pandemic was on going and I thought a fundraiser would be a bust. But, we had a positive story, the reason for the event. And I surrounded myself with knowledgeable people who wanted it to succeed. Items for the sale piled up! More people became involved. The sale became the first event many people had enjoyed for months. And the fundraiser raised a lot more money than we imagined.
But what if someone is without hope? (And there are people suffering from the illness of depression who need support and medical interventions to recover.) But many of us do go through periods of feeling hopeless and can work to resolve these episodes. I did some research on how to first find hope. Here are the suggestions that resonated with me. (Also check out these websites, https://www.achievemedicalcenter.com/blog-post/how-to-find-hope-when-you-feel-youve-lost-it, and https://antimaximalist.com/how-to-find-hope/.)
Find some positive stories. I think of the power of fairytales. Originally these were not just for children. They were for the whole community. The gist of many of these stories is how the protagonist overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds and ends up in a much better place. And there are many positive stories available about the present moment.
Spend time as regularly as possible in nature. Take a walk, a bike ride, or something similar. The natural world is a healing place.
Find supportive, positive people and environments. This is obvious. Being in an uplifting, social environment is crucial.
Reflect on past successes. It’s helpful to remember times of positive outcomes.
Practice meditation and prayer. Opening to a spiritual realm, is, well, opening up in and of itself.
This has been and is a tough time. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and without hope. My hope is that this blog is an antidote.
